Not sure if this is the right board, but I am planning a AA/QF business award trip and have the option of flying AA nonstop from BDL to LAX on a737-800 or AA to JFK and pickup a nice QF 747-400 to LAX. Either option, I want to overnight at LAX and fly to AKL the next day.

If we fly QF from JFK to LAX, I assume the a/c will arrive at the International Terminal, so for pax leaving at LAX, how is the whole mess of getting our bags and avoiding customs/immigration avoided? A few years ago I flew QF from HNL where I originated (overnighted from SYD) to SFO and had to go thru customs, even though I was a "domestic pax"!

How is this avoided at LAX? I would rather not fly the BDL-LAX nonstop (I have done it before), if I can fly upper deck of the 744.

Thanks